Greek and Roman Mythology
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Read the grading rubric below for suggestions on how to organise your answer (note that the rubric is slightly different for this assignment).
• Daedalus
• Artemis
• Medusa
• Heracleidae
• Seven against Thebes
• Theseus
Assignment Grading Rubric
The breakdown of the mark for each item is as follows. I recommend that you print out this rubric and use it as a check-list.
1. Identification of the item, and summary of his/her/its essential features 2
This is the easy part. Write two or three sentences.
Here is a hint: if it is a god or hero, identify the parents, any geographic location(s) with which the god or hero is associated, and any features which distinguish him/ her (physical features, animals, behaviour, special abilities, weapons, associations with or responsibilities over aspects of the natural world or ideological concepts, etc.).
2. Identification of relevant historical dates and primary sources 1
Write one or two sentences for this part. You may not have a date for each item, but you will definitely have at least one primary source. If there is a relevant historical date, you need to explain why it is relevant.
What is a primary source? A primary source is a literary text written by an ancient Greek or Roman author. These are the literary texts, extracts from which are provided by the textbook. Sometimes there are artistic primary sources (e.g. a temple), but for the assignment please focus upon literary texts.
3. Discussion of a relevant critical point 2
This is the challenging part. Please pay very close attention to the instructions.
Write two or three sentences in which you explain how the item is relevant to one of the critical points raised in the instructional content. If there is not a directly relevant critical point, you should select a critical point from elsewhere in the instructional content which you feel is relevant (here you have the opportunity to be a bit creative).
***It is very important that you do not quote the critical item only (avoid the very basic phrases ‘A critical point about X is…’ or ‘The instructional content says…’); you must write it in your own words. Be careful here to explain; do not summarise the myth only.
In this section I am asking you to demonstrate that you have thought very carefully about the critical point and how it applies to this item. This part is slightly different (and a bit more difficult) in this assignment, since I expect you to demonstrate how this critical point may be similar to, expand upon, or be different from, a critical point from earlier in the course. You can also make reference to and discuss briefly a comparable myth in another ancient culture.
VERY STRONG HINT: many students do the first part of this section, but forget the second part. If you do not do the second part, you can only earn a maximum of one mark for this section.
*****only textbook needed FOR REFERENCE = Powell, B. P. (2012). Classical Myth 7th ed. Toronto, Pearson Education
CRITICAL POINTS INCLUDED
Critical point#1
The two main superhuman qualities ascribed to heroes are:
1. extraordinary strength (e.g., Heracles), or
2. superior intellect (e.g., Theseus).
Critical point #2—Greek Heroes and the Greek city-states
The heroes were very important in Greek culture as most Greek city-states associated themselves with one or more heroes, who were believed to have founded the city or played a very important role in the city’s early history.
Critical point 3—Heracles alone
Heracles is different from many of the other heroes in Greek myth in that no divine being assists him, but rather his career as a freelance adventurer is set in motion when Hera persecutes him.
Critical point 4—Heracles conquers death
That Heracles goes to Hades for his final labour (Cerberus the three-headed hound) is very significant. Returning from Hades is like resurrection.
Critical point 5—Theseus and Heracles
Heracles’ labours clear the Greek world of monsters; Theseus’ labours (see below) build upon that by removing “freaks”: people who live outside of, and refuse to abide by the rules of, normal civilised Greek society.
Critical point 6—Athenian intellectual superiority
The labyrinth is a metaphor for the Athenian ability to create and solve exceptionally complex problems.
Critical point7 —Dionysus and Thebes
Dionysus’ association with Thebes in part explains why things in Thebes are so horrific: it is the place where people give in to their darkest urges.
Critical point 8—Identity
Oedipus does not know his true self at the beginning, and his discovery of his true identity has severe consequences. Truth can sometimes be a burden in the ancient world.
